Fortune couldn't remember the last time she saw a familiar face. Seeing her father the last time, as she slipped into the cold unrelenting ice, had been months ago. She'd grown far beyond the size of a round, youthful pup and now was blessed with the feminine figure of a young lady. Although, she was mostly skin and bones. Spending most of her time in search of her family, food was only a thought when it was a necessity. Otherwise, home was all she cared about.

Unfortunately, things didn't look or smell familiar. She was so young when her father took her up north to explore that she couldn't remember anything besides her mothers face and smell. Her father and siblings too, of course, but nothing of their home or landmarks. It made things increasingly difficult, but the cherry on top was not knowing her family's names. It was embarrasing really, and she felt like her siblings names were just on the tip of her tongue. She could remember their faces though, round and pudgy puppies. Unfortunately, that wasn't much to go on either, and so her luck was running out. Honestly, she wasn't sure she could keep doing this anymore.

Her weary body fell into a garden of flowers surrounded by trees and the remainder of the warm, winter sun. She was exhausted, hungry, and every bone in her paws and every muscle in her body ached with a burning sensation that felt akin to fire, but a slow smoldering burn, not a raging forest fire. Although the sun was warm, the breeze was cool and offered a gentle reminder of the season, even if the cold grasp of winter didn't reach the south quite yet. Even as she laid still, exhausted and on the verge of sleep, the cool breeze offered another reminder. Her birthday. She must be close to a year if not already by now, but who was keeping track? She really didn't even know what day it was, let alone when her birthday is.

Fortune laid still in the flowers, her body motionless save for the light breathing through parted lips that promised life. Her eyes were partly opened, ever so slightly, the flowers around her a colorful blur.

Have you ever been so exhausted that you can't sleep?

Deathbelle skirted Ashen as she allowed herself to wander again from Habari’s borders. She was doing everything she could to uphold Sirius’s command. She knew that he had happily gone back to the way his life used to be. There was no life shattering event he had to suffer through after sending her away, she bore that burden alone. Her body ached, her chest was hollow and painful. Life lacked the brilliance it once had. Nothing seemed worth her efforts any longer. She wanted so badly for the numbness she’d felt right after Sirius broke his word.

He was all she had to cling to after losing Fortune. She hadn’t lost a child before, she’d loved and lost lovers and her divine husband. Losing one of her young children was a pain that was indescribable. Sirius had only just relieved the pain, and then he’d taken her, used her up, and left her a shell of what she had been. The once Empress waded through the flowers of the prairie, much farther from home than what she had ever intended. Being away from the mountain eased her enough that her thoughts wandered from the ache in her chest.

Ivory splattered form slipped through the field, the wind pulling at her fur like terrible memories behind her. Violet eyes scanned the horizon, only barely paying attention to her surroundings as she walked. Nothing mattered anymore. Especially not her safety. Nor for other wolves in the field. She almost stepped on the girl that was laying in the flowers, and her heart stopped and her jaw dropped when she took in the familiar form. Deathbelle was certain that she had stumbled on a ghost.

The girl was peaceful in her place among the flowers, half awake yet half asleep. Her body paralyzed, numb. The wind coursed through her fur and the flowers in waves, having it's way with anything not bolted down. She needed to sleep, yet couldn't find the strength to simply allow herself to fall into it. It was strange, but no matter how hard she tried, she remained awake. Eyes barely open, lips slightly parting to breath soft breaths. It was almost as if she was dying, although she was perfectly fine. Just exhausted and malnourished, no big deal.

She wouldn't have even noticed that the other approached had they not almost stepped on her. Although her reactions were delayed, her eyes slowly opened just a bit more as she barely lifted her head to turn and look at the woman. Partially lidded lavender eyes looked up at the woman, her blurry gaze taking it's time focusing.